Sermon / Homily on John 2:1-11

Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours, John 2:1-11

In John, these sort of actions - changing water into wine, for example - are not
"miracles" - they are SIGNS. John does NOT want us to look at them; he wants us
to look at what they point to. It is a complete mis-reading of this text to
respond, "Wow! I wonder HOW he did that?" John wants us to respond, "Wow! I
wonder WHO did that?" Wasting time discussing the sign is like going to a
fabulous restaurant and spending the evening talking about the menu instead of
enjoying the feast. (Click here to read my brief note giving an Introduction to
John.)

Verses 1 and 2. "On the third day," is the first of two "on the third day's"
that book-end John's telling us about Jesus.

The phrasing, "the mother of Jesus was there" at the wedding, and that "Jesus
and his disciples had also been invited," suggests that his mother was there to
help the women of the hosting household with the wedding preparations, and Jesus
and his disciples were there as guests.

Assisting, being invited, and attending a wedding were social obligations that
established / maintained / demonstrated one's social status and honour. Jesus,
his mother, and his disciples are all there because of some existing family or
neighborly relationship.

Verses 3 and 4. "When the wine ran out ..." is not a comment on unusually heavy
drinking at the wedding. It indicates that the host either has a shameful lack
of friends who were socially obliged to bring sufficient wine as gifts (one of
whom would have been Jesus). Or the host's friends have shamed themselves - and
the host - by failing to provide sufficient wine.

Jesus' mother attempts to discretely redress this by speaking directly to Jesus.
However, such an approach would break social taboos against women speaking to
men in public places - especially since the topic is a woman's social
responsibility - serving the food. The comment is certainly a challenge to
Jesus' honor. And Jesus, at least initially, rebuffs her. (And remember that
this "third day" is not that second "third day" which is indeed the time when
Jesus' hour comes.)

Malina (pages 67-68, see footnote below) makes note of a pattern that appears in
John.

Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke where Jesus almost always only takes action at
the request of others; John is almost always the reverse - it is Jesus who
initiates. And when others do make requests:

Jesus' response is always one of delaying reluctance, followed by compliance,
and then conflict with hostile Judeans.
Page 67

We see this pattern 4 times: here (see Verses 13 and following); John 4:46 to
5:1 and 5:18; John 7:2-10; and lastly, the raising of Lazarus, John 11:1-8.

There is no explanation given in John for this pattern.

Malina speculates, "Perhaps John uses this pattern to inform members of his
(John's) group how to deal with their relatives and other natural in-group
persons." (Page 68.)

My speculation is that it has more to do with Jesus' reluctance to perform signs
for those who request them- and that it is precisely the performing of signs
that increases Jesus' public profile and honor which bring him into conflict
with the authorities.

Verses 5 to 10. Notice that the "sign" is "performed" in completely natural,
normal actions. But it is "performed" at the direction of Jesus - as ordinary
people do ordinary things that follow Jesus' commands. Nothing "magic" is said
or done by Jesus.

The sign is also performed in plain sight but totally unobserved: Jars are
filled with water, a sample is drawn out, the sample is tasted and found to be
wine.

But since this is a sign and not a miracle, the point is not, "Wow! How did that
happen?" The point is, "Wow! Who did that?" Which is precisely the point John
makes in Verse 11:

Jesus did this, the first of his signs, ... and revealed his glory, and his
disciples believed (into) him.

As Malina comments:

In this Gospel (of John), a sign is something that reveals who Jesus really is.
Jesus' signs are self-disclosures that provoke interpersonal affectionate
adherence.
Page 69.

"Revealed his glory" means revealed Jesus' honor / his status with God. It
demonstrates Jesus' loyalty to his followers - his commitment to them. And
invokes a reciprocal commitment by them to Jesus.

As John himself says in John 20:31, his goal in writing down this sign is not
that we should be amazed, or even that we should believe in Jesus. Rather his
goal is that we should bond with Jesus / abide in Jesus - and receive for
ourselves the life that is in Jesus. John's goal is that "seeing" will lead to
life in all its abundance.